Dune is a footwear brand aimed at stylish and fashionable men and women who want to look a million dollars - without the million dollar price tag.
The quintessentially British brand is a renowned name in the affordable luxury segment in its home market with around 55 stand alone stores and 164 concessions in the UK. It has close partnerships with several department stores including Selfridges, Fenwicks, Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis. Worldwide Dune has around 245 stores and concessions.
Mohamediqbal Yacoobali, Managing Director of Dune International, said: “We want to be market leaders within the affordable luxury segment, and we will achieve this through our continued focus on product excellence. Everything we do is about the detail – getting the right leather, the right suede, the right trims and embellishments. We spend a lot of time to get the look exactly right, the fit right and the packaging right before we deliver to store.”
With the brand firmly established and continuing to grow within the UK market, Dune is also continuing its rapid expansion through International growth. The brand currently operates concessions in department stores in Denmark and Sweden, and at the beginning of September opened their first Dune concession in a German department store.
As well as operating franchises in the GCC and the Middle East and operating stores in Poland and Russia, Dune is in discussion with a number of parties to look at the wider MENA region, Iraq, Iran, Israel and surrounding countries.
In Europe, the majority of the brand’s stores are own stores and concessions, while a franchising model is the preferred option for regions further afield, particularly in emerging markets.
Internet sales within the UK are also helping to boost sales Yacoobali said: “Our online sales are growing year-on-year, through wholesale, as well as through the Dune website. It’s a big growth avenue for us, which is why we have recently migrated the Dune website to a new platform, revamping the navigation to offer a wider breadth of search options and launching Dune Life, a lifestyle section which includes Dune TV.”
Around 70 per cent of Dune’s customers are women, aged 25-40. Yacoobali describes the core target customer as sexy, stylish image conscious and fashion aware.
“Our customers take pride in their appearance and in keeping up to date with fashion, and are avid shoppers who love the glamour that Dune brings to each and every outfit.”
For the full article, please see the October 2011 issue.
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